Every Blooming THing: Early October

Another fast summer.  Why can't winter go that fast?  

Pine straw is starting to fall.  That is always nice because that is free mulch, but does require a lot of raking.  I have two big pine islands with 15 pine trees.

The mums are blooming all over right now and I must have close to 200 of them, so quite the display of yellow to red shades all over the yard.  In addition, the sedum have all those red heads.  The asters are also in bloom now with the blues.  Also, some kind of a wild daisy is blooming all over.  These plants have hundreds of really small white flowers, but in masses so it is quite a thing to see.

The goldenrods have finished which is good because that means I don't have to be as careful now since the stingers that inhabit these when in bloom are also gone.  Anything that can sting you is all over those.  The sedum are still red, but when they first turn, they too are covered with little stingers.

The honeylocusts are starting to turn yellow now.

--RoadFlower

Why the Bees Messin' With Me So Much Now

At 7:15 a.m., this morning, Lin Brehmer will be doing his Monday and Friday Lin's Bin on bees and why they're messing with us so much right now.

Should be good with his comments and music/movie bits included.

Give it a listen at WXRT, FM, 93.1 FM.

They sure are out there in great numbers in my yard.

They Been Really Messin' With Me This Year.

Must Learn to Be More Careful.  --RoadDog

Every Blooming Thing-- Late September 2015

The days are getting shorter and nights a bit cooler, but right now we are having some summer like weather with temps in the 70s and plenty of sunshine.

The color goes on, however.  The sedum have their red heads glowing and the mums are doing their mum thing with lots of colors.  The asters are blooming as well as are some sort of wild daisy thing where each plant gets hundreds of little bitty white blooms.  Most of the goldenrods are now brown though.

The bees are very much attracted to these plants and I have to be careful moving around them.

I have been doing a lot of work on the south ends of the east and west pine islands, which just don't get a lot of color.  I have been transplanting daisies, black-eyed Susans and trimming back the lavender and planting blue salvia.

Hoping for Color Next Summer.  --RoadDog


YOGI-ISMS:  I think Little League is wonderful.  It keeps the kids out of the house.

Battling the Bees

This was sort of a painful confrontation compared to the chipmunk.  Last weekend I was attacked by ground bees and stung three times.  They even chased me across the yard.  Well, this means war.  I try to leave bees alone because of the work they do in the yard, but sting me and that changes everything.

Monday, I went to Menard's which was having a 4 for $5 sale on spray cans of hornet at wasp killer.  I stocked up.

A couple days ago, i was working in the general area where I was attacked, but not by where I think their nest is.  Those little buggers started buzzing me again.  But this time I was ready, and they got zapped pretty well.  I don't know if I killed any, but they sure weren't around after that.

Come On Back if You've Got the Stingers, 'Lil Friends.  You Can meet my 'Lil Friend.  --RoadDog

Bands, Boating, Bars and Attack Bees

THURSDAY, JULY 9--  Yardwork.  Boating on Fox Lake and Nippersink Lake.  Stopped  at the Aquarium on Nippersink Lake by boat for Chain Crawl passport stamp.  Drove to Antioch, Illinois for It's Thursday.  Had wings at The Lodge of Antioch and saw Funk DuJour, an eleven-piece horn band at the bandshell.  Stopped at Chopper's on Il-173 by Channel Lake on the way home for another passport stamp.

FRIDAY, JULY 10--  More yardwork.  Went boating around Fox Lake.  To the Legion on Nippersink Lake and met several of our Usual Suspects and then over to Hello Folks where we saw Mitch Stevens performing.

SATURDAY, JULY 11--  More yardwork.  Watched the Sox-Cubs Crosstown game in Margaritaville in the basement.  Sox won 5-1!!  Went to a party at our neighbor's house to the west of us.

SUNDAY, JULY 12--  More yardwork and I was stung three times when I annoyed some ground bees at their nest.  It was the "Great Skedaddle" half-way across the yard.  In the afternoon, we went to Captain's Quarters on Fox Lake and saw the band Hooked On Sonics.  Then to Nauti-Knots on Bluff Lake for a sit out by their great Tiki Bar.  Last stop at Lakeview Place on Grasslake with the best view on the Chain.

And, next week it is McHenry's Fiesta Days and Antioch's Taste of Summer with lots of bands and fun.

Good Times 'Round Here.  --RoadDog

JSIS: Bees and Butterflies-- Trees That Take Heat

JSIS-- Just Some Interesting Stuff.


1. BEES AND BUTTERFLIES-- The July 31st Chicago tribune had an article "Giving native pollinators a fighting chance" by Kathy Van Mullekom. There is a new book out about protecting butterflies and bees.

Across the world there is much worry about the huge drops in both populations, a bad indicator as to the health of planet Earth. The book suggests planting lots and lots of flowers, which I do. Also use as many native species as possible, which I also do.

And, I have lots of both, including a lot of the fattest bumblebees ever.


2. TREES THAT TAKE HEAT-- The July 31st Chicago Tribune had a short article on trees that can take summer heat. Two of them were cottoneaster and honey locusts due to small leaves. I have both plants in my yard. Probably five cottoneasters and four honey locusts (two skyliner and two sunbursts).

They definitely handle heat and drought well. My trees that don't handle it well are the river birch and paper birch which I keep watered during droughts.

Taking car Out in the Garden. --RoadDog


GROANERS: What do you get from pampered cows? Spoiled milk. (I get plenty of that by taking too long to drink it.)

The Dastardly Attack of the Bees

It's beginning to look like the yard is definitely out to get me. Several years ago it was my left eye, and in June it was the thumb. Friday, I was stung at least four times by a band of rogue bees, simply because I dusturbed their nest while pulling weeds out by the arboretum.

Earlier, I had dusturbed a smaller one, but fortunately, had gotten out of line of sting before it was too late. This time, the first indication I had were two stabs of pain in my leg. I immediately retreated, but was stung again on the arm.

That was enough pain for me, so I moved all the way to the house, where I heard buzzing near my head and then pain in my neck. One of the little varmints had followed me. Then, it had the gall to chase after me. Whereupon I beat a hasty retreat inside. Already, I have to watch out for bees, yellow jaclets, bumble bees, and wasps on the rose of sharons, goldenrod, and sedum. Now this.

During the 15 years we've lived out here in Spring Grove, Illinois, I have only been stung four times!!!

Like They Say, You Bees, Payback's a ______. --RoadDog

No Boating for Me, Bumble Bees 1- The "Dawg" 0

This past Tuesday, I went out to the boat with the intention of doing a bit of a float. I already knew that the Chain of Lakes was open, but only no wake. Plus, there were dire warnings about the extremely high bacteria content in the water. If you got any on you, you were supposed to wash it immediately (with what?) and take a shower.

When I got out to Rick's, I found the boat actually a few inches above the pier. I'd never seen it that high before. Water was up along the seawalls and grass on both sides of the channel. I would have had to walk through several inches of water to get out to the boat, so decided to take a RAIN check on my float.

Hopefully, I will be able to get out on Thursday or Friday.

Of course, we have Labor Day weekend coming up, always a big crowd out on the lakes. Hopefully the water will have gone down enough by then so that the no wake can be lifted.

Last evening, I was making a "Search and Destroy" mission against the dreadful Japanese beetles. It was essentially the "gloaming" with daylight fast leaving us. Out by the gazebo, I grabbed a dark object that I though to be a beetle. The buzz gave it away as not being a beetle. Before I could get my hand away, I'd been STUNG. Ouch!!! One very mad bumble bee buzzed away, probably planning on telling his buds about the stupid guy who thought he was a beetle.

This is the third time I've been stung out in the yard since 1993. Fortunately, I am not allergic to bee stings like Liz is.

The first time I got stung was by a bumble bee out by Frances' Back 40. It flew straight up and nailed me just above my right eye. A few years ago, while I was staining the deck, a wasp came up between the boards and got me on the rear end. Sure glad I didn't have to go to the emergency room for that one. "Let's see, what is the nature of your injury?"

Just one more reason to hate those beetles.

Do NOT Mistake a Bumble Bee for a Japanese Beetle. --RoadDog